Donald Trump showed that when almost a year ago he announced the Liberation Daya day in which new mandatory tariffs for exports to the US from more than 60 countries were advanced. It initially proposed 34% levies on Chinese goods, but that rate was temporarily raised to 125% after Beijing responded reciprocally.
Washington was questioned around the world. Not only did it begin to apply tariffs even to islands without inhabitants: it was also shown that the calculation by which the Trump Administration had decided What taxes were I going to impose? to the different countries he attacked was a simple mathematical operation: a subtraction and a division. And questionable rigor.
Despite this, the world was forced to negotiate. Also the European Union, which was imposed a general tariff of 20% for exports to the United States of the Twenty-seven. Months before, Trump had already announced taxes on purchases of European steel or aluminum. Several European ministers starred in historic photographs in the meetings they began to hold. Would Trump’s tariff be responded to?
There was agreement. Ursula von der Leyen announced, together with Donald Trump, an agreement between the EU and the US by which the new tariff on European products it would be 15%. The rates imposed on chemicals or aircraft parts would be reduced again compared to what was seen in January. In short, Trump achieved his objective, a more beneficial tariff agreement for the US, and the EU managed to mitigate the damage.
Now the European Parliament gives the green light to the agreement: this is the date on which the agreement will fall
Ursula von der Leyen announced the political agreement with Washington, but it had to be ratified by the European Parliament and also by the Twenty-seven countries of the Union. The first has already happened: specifically, this Thursday. In this week’s plenary session, the European Parliament has established its position on the two legislative proposals that develop the agreement tariff with the US.
Specifically, these texts eliminate “most tariffs on US industrial products” and offer “a preferential access to the European market for a wide range of agricultural and seafood products, in line with the commitments made in the summer of 2025 by negotiators.
However, MEPs They have approved new conditions. For example, a suspension clause is strengthened: either it discriminates against European producers and traders, or even if Trump decides to undermine European territorial integrity (with an eventual conquest of Greenland), the EU reserves the right to suspend these tariff agreements immediately.
If something like this were to happen, the consequences would be that the EU would once again raise the trade barriers that Trump managed to knock down last year with his tariff offensive. Furthermore, it has been agreed that aspects of the agreement with Washington will remain in force at least until March 31, 2028that is, within two years. It may be extended. But the situation will almost certainly have to be reevaluated then.
